Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

These are the best blueberry muffins I have ever made.  I no longer make any of the other recipes that I have collected over the years.  This one is not dry and has just the right amount of tartness and sweetness all in one.

Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 tablespoon flour


Topping:
 1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of margarine or butter (Do Not Melt)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin pans (makes approximately 18-20 muffins).
2.  To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Cut in the margarine with a knife or pastry blender until it is crumbly. Set aside.
3.   To make the muffins, combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium size bowl.
4.  In another medium size bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar.  Mix in yogurt, oil, and vanilla.
5.  Slowly combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
6.  In a small bowl sprinkle 1 cup of the blueberries with the 1 1/2 tablespoon of flour until they are completely coated.  Gently fold them into batter.
7.  Spoon batter into muffin pans filling each to about 2/3 full.  Cover the batter with the remaining blueberries and then cover the blueberries generously with the topping.
8.  Place them in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until completely baked.
9.  Let cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

I have tried making this soup on the stove top and in the crock pot.  The stove top wins.  When I made it in the crock pot it wasn't as thick and creamy.  For my family I have to double this recipe.  Plus, I add extra potatoes to make it more filling.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbs. margarine or butter
3 cups chicken broth
3 medium carrots, cut into small pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups cubed chicken
2 tbs. minced parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 - 8oz. package of cream cheese






Directions:
In a large sauce pot, saute the onion and chicken in the margarine/butter.  Add the broth, carrots, and potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Add the parsley, salt, and pepper.  Continue to cook on low.  Combine the flour and milk in a small bowl and add to the soup mixture.  Bring to a boil;  cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat.  Add the cream cheese; cook and stir until melted.
Serves 6 to 8 people
Note:
When adding the cream cheese it helps to cut it into small pieces so that it melts evenly and doesn't leave chunks.  I use a butter knife and a glass of warm water to dip the knife into.  The warmth of the knife allows the cheese to be cut easily.  Works great...

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

This chili is more like a Mexican White Chicken Chili but it isn't spicy.  I made it for a luncheon for work and it was everyone's favorite...

White Chicken Chili

When you serve this chili you can add shredded cheese to the top and/or sour cream.  Tortilla chips are great to dip in it as well.  This picture doesn't show the cheese melted but that is how everyone ate it.  The picture was actually taken of the chili when it was cold.  There is a slightly different look to it (darker color) when it is hot.
This was awesomely delicious!!!
On a side note...  This recipe can be doubled by using twice as much of everything.  It makes a lot as is but I was trying to feed about twenty people (or more).

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. uncooked chicken breast cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 - 15 oz. cans of Northern Beans (I used the chili version) drained
1 - 15 oz. can of corn, drained
1 onion chopped ( I used a vidalia)
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 package taco seasoning (or 3 tbs. if you buy it in bulk)
1 -7 oz. can of chopped green chilies
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 - 14oz. can of chicken broth

Directions:
Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.  Add beans, corn, and onion.  Combine the next five ingredients in a bowl and then pour over the top.  Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours  or 4 1/2 to 5 hours on high.
Before serving, stir well to break the chicken apart (it likes to clump when cooking it in a crockpot).
Serves approximately 8 to 10 people.

More Pantry Organization

I know I have already posted pantry organization but I have changed a few things since then.
I am starting a new job next week and my one goal was to paint my pantry door before I started.
I accomplished it!!!
Since my favorite color is red and I already painted the island that color I decided to continue the color to the pantry door.  I love the way it turned out.

This is the outside of the pantry door (obviously).  I wouldn't have thought that by painting it that it would make such a difference.  I was a little nervous because it went from white to such a bold color but I am so happy with the results.

If you look at my previous posts you will see that painting the door made such a huge difference. But a good one...

Now on to the inside of my pantry.  It isn't perfect or pretty or anything like that but it works quite well for my family.  I switched most of my storage containers to large glass mason jars.  I found that the plastic ones that I had pasta etc. in would have a funny smell after a while.  The jars work great.  They are fairly inexpensive too.  I think I only paid around $12.00 for six of them.  I purchased them at Walmart but I have seen them at Target too.  They hold about 8 cups of pasta or what ever you decide to put in them.  I have everything from pasta to coconut flakes in mine.  Near the bottom of my pantry I have two wire baskets that I purchased for about $10 a piece at Walmart.  They work well for holding canned goods.  They don't allow for the cans to be organized very well but they don't fall off the shelves anymore.  Plus, if you need something, you can pull the basket out and go through it on the counter.
Someday I would love to gut it out and build shelves of varying heights.  Only so I won't have to stack the flour / sugar containers.  The easier it is for me to retrieve the better...

Organizational Storage

I have one more storage idea that I am going to share with you.  I get a little excited every time I do something new.

I have had this calendar hanging on my wall for a couple years but I wanted something to put pens, paper, and dry erase markers in.  That's where the rod and buckets come in...
All purchased at Ikea.
1 Rod - $8.99
6 Hooks - $2.99 for a pack of 5 (I had an extra one from a previous storage project that I did.)
3 Utensil Caddies - $3.99 each.

I sort of messed up a little on the placement of my rod.  I didn't take into account that I should have placed the brackets a little further apart but everyone in the house has assured me that it still looks good.  If it weren't for the fact that I would have to patch the holes and repaint the spots that the current holes are at I would definitely change it. 

Kitchen Island Makeover

Several years ago I was given a kitchen island from my sister (which I am very thankful for) because she was remodeling her kitchen and no longer needed it.  I used it for a while as it was and decided that I wanted to update it.  Make it fit my style a little...

Before...
It was such a blessing to me.  I have a small kitchen and storage and workspace is so limited so this was just wonderful for me.  It makes my kitchen a bit crowded but it is so worth it.

Now on to the makeover...

I added a new butcher block top to it and added a little trim that was missing.  I put many coats of deep red paint on it in a high glass finish so that it was easy to clean.









I really wanted to replace the hinges on it too but I was in such a hurry getting in back in my kitchen that I didn't.  I still may though.  For now it is good enough.







When I was all finished I hung two rods and several hooks.  One on each side of the island...
I am currently not hanging anything on the hooks because the baby is at the age where he gets into everything and nothing would stay on them right now anyway.
I purchased the rods from Ikea.  They were $8.99 each and the hooks were $2.99 for a package of 5.  As I am sure you can tell from my previous posts, Ikea is my all time favorite store.

I figured it out...

Sometimes I can really be ditsy. It helps to access your posts by signing in to the correct email address.  Okay, now that I am signed in correctly and I post a few things. lol